The present state of the art for hand tools is very diverse. For wrenches and socket, they normally come in sets of five or more sizes. These sets usually come in a carrying case or other holding structure to keep the tools together. Socket sets allow the user to tighten and loosen rotary fasteners (bolts, screws, nuts, specialty fasteners, and etc.) in depressions and other hard to reach areas. Socket sets often include a ratchet wrench to turn a rotary fastener without having to remove the socket from the fastener. The disclosed multisockets as well as general wrench sockets can have many types of gripping surfaces. Wrench sockets in general can each come in a variety of gripping surfaces for use with different types of rotary fasteners. Some common socket gripping surfaces can comprise: 1) four-point standard (square shape), 2) six-point standard (hexagon shape), 3) eight-point (star shaped), 4) twelve-point standard (double hexagon), 5) twelve-point spline, 6) lobed gripping surfaces (both six and twelve point), 7) Torex® gripping surfaces, 8) asymmetric gripping surfaces, 9) variations on these basic gripping surfaces, and 10) many other shape specialty shapes for various purposes. This list of gripping surfaces is not exhaustive and many other gripping surface designs exist in the patent record that can be used with the disclosed sockets.
Most American homes have at least one socket set in their home. Prior art sockets include a multitude of ways of providing torque to various rotary fasteners, and can include a ratchet mechanism that can be bidirectional (selectively reversible) or unidirectional (ratchet action only in one direction). Single direction ratchet systems can be combined with the pivotal multisockets if the sockets can reverse their attachment to the ratchet. Along with the multiple socket sizes, this invention can also be combined with other tools, such as, but not limited to, hammers, screwdrivers, pry bars, scraping tools, box cutters, knives, saws, files (wood and/or metal), pliers, axes, and other hand tools. The socket heads themselves can have a pivot hinge pin or knobs that allow the multisocket to swivel to various angles to allow greater functionality, and can be designed to pivot to a low-profile position for stowage.
The use of the term “sockets” can be used in this patent to differentiate themselves from wrench head designs which during use have a much lower profile (height above rotary fastener during use) than a socket. Generally a socket has a longitudinal length (vertical height above the base of a rotary fastener during use) that is generally greater than its gripping surface rated size (i.e., ½ inch socket has a longitudinal length that is generally greater than ½ inch. For the double ended sockets disclosed here, the longitudinal length of the multisockets is generally greater than two times the socket's gripping size. The disclosed multisockets will generally be much longer than two times the largest socket size, and can provide a deep socket function by having a clear path down their center axis (see FIGS. 4A-B), however this open center axis (deep socket) is optional for the invention.
Wrench sockets are generally not hinged at the socket since this would make it difficult to connect and disconnect different sockets. Instead, some ratchet wrenches have built in hinges near the ratchet head to allow the socket to pivot to various angles when it is attached to that wrench. Such pivots or hinges can comprise a friction means and/or locking mechanism to help hold the ratchet head and socket at a particular angle with respect to the rest of the wrench (i.e., the wrench handle). These friction and locking means (stabilizing means) can comprise any mechanism that can be used with hand tool hinges to help hold the hinge's joint in place during use. The disclosed multisocket, because of its many gripping surfaces sizes do not need to be switched out for different sockets and can be permanently and pivotally attached to the end of the wrench. The wrench hinge(s) can include a friction and/or locking mechanism(s), as its particular use dictates.